Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 108: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Zz ~“Very well. If this girl has a chance to make something of herself I won’t interfere. The fantastic thought struck me not long ago that perhaps Wade Murrell had achieved the impossible. It occurred to me that perhaps he had so edited and re- written a human document as to infuse a touch of the genuine into the counterfeit. “T am in love with this girl as a man might fall in love with Phryne or Circe. That is to say, she can set my passion on fire, and she does. A man does not marry a Phryne or Circe, though he may want her damnably. He doesn’t want her as a wife. A wife calls for certain qualifications which a Circe or a Cynthia Meade never has.”’ ~“ Perhaps Cynthia has acquired some of them now. Perhaps she’s in the process of acquiring others.” “Perhaps, but it’s too uncertain. Until now I’ve been strong in my belief that she tried to kill me. That gave me a mortgage, and I came to foreclose it. You tell me that you believe she’s innocent of that particular crime. At all events, she’s en- titled to the benefit of every doubt—if there is a doubt. You also think that with Se a chance, she may make something of her at life. Very well, I'll go away. That’s the a best I can offer. I don’t even dare talk to aoe her first.” , ‘‘ All she asks is a release from the terror | of pursuit.” Eee ‘Harrison nodded slowly and his face was | sober. “T take it that neither you nor I are sentimentalists, Miss Purviance,” he said. “ We live facts and we talk facts, but don’t make any mistake. The sort of love I admit for Cynthia Meade may not be a noble passion, but it’s strong and its roots have gone deep into me. It’s a hell. It’s not so easy to give her up. We can’t rewrite the code you object to. But if you believe she can be promoted from the plaything ~- woman to the respected woman I'll take ~ , off. When I’m gone you may tell _ her that I’ve wiped the slate clean.” — “You couldn’t do better,” Anne Purvi- 2 “ ance assured him, “ unless you could stay ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “I know how much I can concede. Unholy fires, if you choose to call them that, are not cool fires. Passion can’t be exorcised and wiped out at a breath.. A man may key himself to a good resolution, but if he lingers in the danger zone he may also break down. He can’t be sure that he will always stand unshaken against squall- like gusts that may strike him unaware. - “As for me, I think the anchor lines might part. I can’t answer for myself if I stay, Miss Purviance, but I can undertake to go. This girl and I met on the quick- sands of passion. I doubt if we could set our feet on quieter highways, and walk them sedately. Old memories would come and new resolves would go up in smoke.” “IT wonder,” mused the woman quietly, “whether Wade Murrell hasn’t rewritten a paragraph or two in your own human document, Mr. Carroll?” “Nonsense,” he almost snapped. ‘“ I’m too old a bird for that.” He broke off and added as if finally closing the topic: “Don’t tell her this, but before God, if Cynthia Meade had been able to meet me on a different plane—on the other side of the line you object to—I’d come to her humbly enough, offering her not a half love, but a whole love—and I’d give ten years of my life to have it possible.” “Are you sure—even now —it isn’t possible?”’ “Horribly sure. Well, that’s that, and now we’ve talked enough about me.” His manner changed and he laughed. “ If you don’t scorn tainted money I’d like to have a part in building your school.” Down the road toward them came Wade Murrell.. He was carrying his coat over his arm, and the pistol holster that he usually wore under his left armpit was missing. Wade halted at the stile and Anne Pur- viance said to the lowlander: ‘‘ You haven’t been here as long as I have, Mr. Carroll, or you’d notice the fact, with pleasure, that Mr. Murrell comes outdoors these days without his pistol strapped to his side. It’s a mighty welcome sign of confidence and peace.” : Wade smiled, too. ‘‘ Sometimes,” he said, “ I goes abroad all day now an’ fergits ter tote hit along with me. I wouldn’t hev “ 5 - é _ ,* = oy ’ ? >= — = | = beast’ ane nicbooks.co Em Ie tay, =e Pe, , = ss <a